Wire fence.



Patented May l3,- I902, r. 01.0, 0.0. OPEL.

WIRE FENCE.

(Application filed Nov. 20, 1901.)

WINK

dim

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK \V. OPEL AND JOHN G. OPEL, OF IRELAND, INDIANA, ASSIGN- ORS OFONE-THIRD TO HOMER \VINEINGER, OF IRELAND, INDIANA.

WIRE FE NCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,074, dated May 13,-1 902. Application filed November 20, 190 1. Serial No. 83,050. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FREDERICK WV. OPEL and JOHN G. OPEL, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Ireland, in the count-y of Dubois andState of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Wire Fence, of whichthe following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in wire fences, one object ofour invention being to provide an improved post, which is not buried inthe ground, but is supported upon a permanent base, and which post whenit becomes decayed or broken may be removed without taking down thefence-wires and replaced by another.

A further object of our invention is to provide improved means forbracing the post and for preventing the top fence-wire from sagging.

With these and other objects in view our invention consists in thepeculiar construction and combination of devices hereinafter fully setforth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of asection of a wire fence embodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is a detailsectional view taken transversely through the upper portion of one ofthe posts, showing the bight of the brace-wire, the top fence-wire, andthe hook which suspends the bight of the brace-wire from the said topwire. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the operationof the device weemploy and have devised for tightening the brace-wire. Fig. lis asimilar view on a plane at right angles tothat of Fig. 3. Fig. 5

is a detail sectional view showing the modi-' fied form of the hook forsuspending the brace- Wire from the top wire.

In the embodiment of our invention we provide a permanent base 1 foreach of the posts 2. The base 1 may be a boulder partially buried intheground or it may be a brick or stone pier, and we do not limit ourselvesin this particular.-- On opposite sides of the brace 1 are buriedanchors 3,which may be stones, bricks, or other suitable objects. Thepost 2 is provided on its upper end with a transverse vertical slot 4 ofsuitable length, and the post is provided at its'upper and lower endswith notches 5 6 for the reception and retention, respectively, of thetop and bottom wires to b of the fence. 'lhe top wire is supported attwo points by the post, on opposite sides of the slot 4:. Abrace-wire 7of suitable size and length has its ends connected to the anchors 3 andits bight disposed in the slot 4 in the upper end of the fence-post. Ahook S engages the bight of the brace-wire and also'engages the top wirea of the fence, and the stress of the brace-wire is. thus communicatedto the top wire, so that the weight of the wire fabric of the fenceoperates to maintain the tension on the brace-wires, and the latter actto prevent the fence-wires from sagging in addition to performingtheirfunction of bracing the posts and maintaining the latter in vtheirvertical position. A loop 8, which is disposed in a transverse opening 9in the post, may be employed to draw the brace-wires to the post andprevent the brace-wires from forming ob- 7o structions; but the use ofthe said loop may be dispensed with without affecting the scope orimpairing the ad vantages of our invention.

In the erection of the fence we employ a device (shown in Figs. 3 and l)for tightening the brace-wires prior to connecting them by means of thehook 8 to the top wire. 7 The said tightening device comprises an archedsup port 10, which is adapted to be placed on the top of the post and tospan .the slot 4 thereof, a screw 11, which operates vertically in an unthreaded opening in the said arched support 10 and is provided with ahook 12 at its lower end to engage the bight of the brace-wire, and anut 13, which coacts withjthe screw to elevate the latter, bears on thearched support 10 andis provided with a lever-arm 14 to enableit to beturned.

Instead of forming the hook 8 from a piece of wire, as hereinbeforestated, the same may be of the form shown in Fig. 5, provided on oneside with a series of notches 15, adapted to engage the top wire a,hence enabling the said hook to be adjustably connected to the top wire.

Having thus described ourinvention, we claim--- 1. In a fence, thecombinationof'aipost, a fence-wire supportedthereby, at two points, anda brace connected to the said fence-wire, between said supported pointsthereof, said wire and brace each maintaining the tension of the other,and whereby the sagging of the wire between two posts adds tension tothe brace, substantially as described.

2. In a fence, the combination of a post, a fence-wire supported therebyat two points, a brace for the post, and an adjustable connectionbetween the said brace and the said wire, said connection being attachedto the wire between the supported points thereof, said wire,

and brace each maintainingthe tension of the other, substantially asdescribed.

3. In afence, the combination of a post having a transverse slot, afence-wire supported by the post, a brace having a night disposed in thesaid slot, the said brace being connected to and supported by the saidwire, substantially as described.

4. In a fence, the combination of a base, a post supported on anddetachable from the base, a fence-wire supported by the post at twopoints, and a brace-wire transversely disposed with reference to thepost, the bight of said brace-wire being connected to said fencewirebetween the supported points thereof, said fence-wire contributing tothe tension of said brace-wire, substantially as described.

5. In a fence, the combination of a base, a post supported on anddetachable from the base, a wire fabric having its upper and lower wiresengaged with the upper and lower ends of the post and its intermediatewires bearing against one side of the post, and a brace for the latter,substantially as described.

(5. In a fence, the combination of a base, a post supported on anddetachable from the base, a wire fabric having its upper and lower wiresengaged with the upper and lower'ends of the post and its intermediatewires bearing against one side of the post, and a brace for anddetachable from the latter, substantially as described.

7. In a fence, the combination of a base, a post supported on anddetachable from the base, a wire fabric having its upper and lower wiresengaged with the upper and lower ends of the post and its intermediatewires bear-- ing against one side of the post and a brace for the post,detachably connected to said upper wire, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaffixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

FRED. \V. OPEL. JOHN G. OPEL.

\Vitnesscs:

.TAcoB P. ECKERT, J12, Henna WINEINGER.

